The room was quiet.

Tan Ziheng woke up and checked the time—his parents had already gone to work.

He got up and stretched. Tan Jin was still snoring softly. Tan Ziheng didn’t wake him, planning to go downstairs alone to find something to eat.

Lin Shilan came out to get water.

It had rained all night and was still raining now.

Outside was gray and hazy—the sky looked as if it had never brightened.

The saturated moisture in the air made her shoulders feel heavy. Lin Shilan let out a big yawn, considering whether to go back to sleep.

Just then, Tan Ziheng came downstairs.

When he saw Lin Shilan, the first thing he noticed wasn’t her ungracefully wide-open mouth, but the pajamas she was wearing.

“These pajamas—did Tan Jin prepare them for you?”

Tan Ziheng’s expression was full of meaning.

Lin Shilan had only come out for water and hadn’t officially gotten up yet. To happen to run into him like this, looking so disheveled, made her feel somewhat embarrassed.

“Um, yes,” shyly using her arm to cover her clothes, she detected something implied in his words: “Is there something special about these pajamas?”

Tan Ziheng chuckled: “There’s quite a story behind them.”

Going into the kitchen, he poured a glass of juice for both himself and Lin Shilan.

They sat in the living room. He slowly told her this story about the pajamas.

When Tan Jin was in fourth grade, their father’s work was transferred to Yan County, and only then did Tan Jin begin living with them. Before that, his father worked at a petrochemical plant in a big city. With two boys in the family and both parents working, they couldn’t manage both children.

The older Tan Ziheng was kept by their side, while Tan Jin was left in their hometown.

The summer before Tan Jin started elementary school, their parents brought him to the big city for the first time, with their grandparents coming along to visit too.

Their father drove, taking the whole family to tour scenic spots.

Throughout the journey, Tan Jin hardly spoke.

After they left a scenic spot, his father went to get the car, and Tan Ziheng discovered Tan Jin had fallen behind.

Next to the public restroom was a souvenir shop. After using the restroom, Tan Jin’s attention was caught by a set of pajamas there.

Tan Ziheng found his younger brother. Tan Jin pointed at the pajamas hanging in the shop and spoke his first sentence of that summer vacation: “My name is written on the clothes, and it has my favorite basketball printed on it.”

Tan Ziheng glanced over briefly: it really did.

Tan Jin wanted those pajamas, but the shop owner happened to be away from the counter. They waited there for quite a while, but the owner never appeared.

Their father’s car arrived first, and everyone urged Tan Jin to get in.

It was hard to park at the entrance to the scenic spot, and the whole family tried to persuade him: forget it, we’ll buy something similar next time we see it. Little Tan Jin didn’t stubbornly refuse to leave or throw a tantrum—he cooperatively got in the car.

The next day.

While the whole family was still sleeping, Tan Jin went out alone with his little backpack, leaving them a note with pinyin mixed in: I’m going to buy something, don’t worry.

When the adults woke up to find him gone, they were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

They searched everywhere for him with no clues: a small child, in the big city for the first time, unfamiliar with everything—where could he have gone?

By afternoon, Tan Jin appeared at the front door on his own.

His little face was flushed red from the sun, and he brought back two sets of pajamas.

It turned out he had gone to the scenic spot their family had visited the day before.

The scenic spot wasn’t close to home—even driving took quite a long time.

Knowing full well the distance was far, little Tan Jin wasn’t deterred. He just kept asking people for directions as he walked, forcibly walking all the way there and walking back.

The pajamas he bought back were a bit big when he first wore them. As Tan Jin gradually grew taller, they fit better and better. He continued growing taller and heavier, and eventually the pajamas became too small and he couldn’t wear them anymore.

The reason he knew about this was because Tan Jin wore that set of pajamas through almost all of elementary school. Every time Tan Ziheng saw him at home, regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, Tan Jin was always wearing those pajamas.

Having seen them so much, Tan Ziheng eventually noticed: the characters on the pajamas weren’t Tan Jin (谭尽), they were Tianjin (天津)…

Lin Shilan looked down at her own pajamas.

This somewhat mistaken little story made her laugh.

Tan Ziheng also smiled as he said to her: “Xiao Jin is someone with very deep obsessions—he’s been like that since childhood.”

“Don’t be fooled by his silent demeanor. The things he’s set his mind on, he won’t easily change. It’s rare to see him like something, but once he does like it, he absolutely won’t let it go. If he doesn’t get it, he won’t give up.”

Lin Shilan had vaguely sensed this point he mentioned.

Immersed in the previous story, she couldn’t help asking a few more questions.

“These clothes—did he wear them continuously from elementary school? How come they still look quite new to me?”

Tan Ziheng’s smile was faint as he explained: “He bought two sets at the time, one with red trim and one with blue trim. The one you’re wearing is his most treasured blue-trimmed pajamas. He loves blue the most, so he actually didn’t wear this set much.”

Lin Shilan felt a warmth in her heart.

Her hands resting on her legs gently touched the fabric of the pajama pants.

It was pure cotton fabric, feeling so comfortable to touch.

Soft and gentle, just like her mood.

Suddenly she thought—this was a good opportunity to ask Tan Ziheng more about Tan Jin.

“Brother Ziheng, since you came home this time, have you noticed anything different about Tan Jin compared to before?”

Tan Ziheng leaned against the sofa, his eyes looking at her as he smiled lightly.

“Different? Does it count that he’s had more contact with you?”

His voice was low, revealing no joy or anger: “I didn’t expect you two could become so close.”

“Mm. I mean in terms of personality,” Lin Shilan’s gaze was intent: “Has he changed in any way?”

“In terms of personality… do you want me to tell the truth?”

She nodded, and he said: “If it were the Tan Jin from before, he would only dare to watch you from a corner—he wouldn’t come over to talk to you.”

Tan Ziheng’s words made Lin Shilan breathe a sigh of relief.

—In the previous few timelines, according to Su Ge’s descriptions, Tan Jin was also very timid and didn’t dare approach her.

—So the current Tan Jin came through time travel and wasn’t from this timeline—this point could be confirmed.

Gaining confidence, she continued asking more: “Didn’t Tan Jin used to be quite chubby? How did he become thin later?”

“During that period, he exercised like crazy…” When he got to this point, Tan Ziheng stopped, seeming unwilling to answer further: “Actually, you can ask him yourself. He’d be very happy to tell you.”

Lin Shilan’s curious emotions rose.

Seizing the opportunity to ask questions, she asked whatever came to mind: “Has he always liked blue? Because it’s quite a coincidence—my favorite color is also blue.”

Tan Ziheng answered vaguely: “Seems like it. When he chooses things, he likes to pick blue ones.”

“So what kind of blue does Tan Jin like best?” Lin Shilan pointed at the trim on her pajamas: “Is it this kind of gray-toned blue? Or the kind of lighter sky blue on the comforter in Tan Jin’s room?”

She talked about Tan Jin with every breath.

Tan Ziheng looked at her, smiling but not speaking.

“Xiao Lan.”

He blinked and said something that seemed like a joke.

“You keep asking about my younger brother. Aren’t you afraid I’ll be unhappy?”

Lin Shilan’s mind hadn’t caught up yet—she hadn’t decoded the meaning in his words.

Tan Ziheng continued speaking.

“Before I went to college, what you said to me—do you still remember?”

“Before college…”

For the Tan Ziheng before her, that was only two years ago.

For Lin Shilan, nearly six years had already passed.

She laboriously searched through the files in her brain.

Lin Shilan bit her lip lightly—this was her habit when trying hard to think. Staring at her profile, the smile on Tan Ziheng’s face gradually faded.

Before Tan Ziheng went to college, Lin Shilan had come to find him—there was such a thing.

“Oh! I remember!” She finally recalled it.

“At that time, I gave you a wallet. Hearing that you got into a good university, I was very envious. Then I said to you, ‘I also want to go to the same university as you. Wait for me—in two years, I’ll test in too.’ Brother Ziheng, this is what you’re talking about, right?”

“Mm.”

With smiling eyes, Tan Ziheng picked up from her words.

He said: “You asked me to wait for you, so I’m still waiting for you.”

“…”

Lin Shilan was dumbstruck.